Ina Does Everything Right.

This past Christmas, I was sitting around chatting with my Aunt Karen when she mentioned a recipe of Ina Garten's that she recently enjoyed. 

Roasted Sausages and Grapes.

Given that the whole idea of roasted grapes seemed completely foreign to me, I was immediately intrigued.

Since hearing about it, I have made this recipe three times -- once for a girlfriend, once when I hosted Supper Club, and then last night for Ian.

I have slightly altered the recipe -- I use chicken sausage to make it healthier, and I slice the sausage before roasting it.  Also, because the chicken sausage is pre-cooked, that eliminates the step of parboiling the sausage.  I'll post my altered recipe below, but you can find the original recipe here.

Roasted Sausages and Grapes

1 12-oz. package of chicken sausage, sliced diagonally
3 cups grapes (I love red, you could also mix green/red)
1 T. unsalted butter
Few glugs red wine
Few glugs balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Melt butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, and when it starts turning golden brown, add in the grapes and stir with a wooden spoon to coat them.  Slightly raise heat and add red wine.  Stir for a few minutes while the wine reduces.
3. Add sliced sausages to the grapes and stir together.  Transfer immediately to the preheated oven.  Roast 20 minutes, turning once midway, until the sausages are brown and the grapes are very soft.
4. Put your skillet back onto the stovetop, and over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar.  Allow juices to reduce.

I served this last night with herbed green beans and a romaine salad with avocado, cucumber, and onion.  We loved it, and there wasn't a single bit left over.

Is this a recipe you'd be up for trying, or is it a little too "out there" for your taste?